Apocalypse: Turning Back Time
by wuzimiko
Summary: [UNDER REVAMP] It was midnight when grey snow silently descended from the heavens. Ryoma tugged at the scarf around his neck and buried his nose in it. Three days left to the apocalypse. He let out a small sigh and shut his eyes.
1. Chapter 00-Technicality

【Chapter 00 - Technicality】

**#1 **The nature of this story likens to a genre of Chinese novels that can be roughly translated to "Apocalyptic Novels". Ammunition is not heavily relied on in this kind of literature.

**#2** The outbreak commences after a natural phenomenon, which then brings about a kind of "heat disease" (high fever). Those who survive the fever either recover as normal human beings, or gain special abilities ; those who didn't pull through will become zombies.

**#3 **Both zombies and humans can evolve to higher stages, as they absorb energy from "crystals", which can be found within skulls of zombies and people with abilities.

S - Stage. S1 zombies would mean Stage 1 zombies. These are lowest level zombies. They move clumsily and slowly. One can become a zombie if they are infected by a S1 zombie. S1 zombies can evolve into S2 zombies, and from there onwards.

L - Level. Same as Stage, just that it's used to denote the evolution level of humans with abilities. The higher the level, the more powerful the person's ability is.

* * *

In this story, Ryoma had lived through seven years in the zombie-filled Japan before he finally died. For some reason he had managed to turn back time, and now he tries to save those close to him while uncovering the truth behind the disaster.

It is under this background that I wrote this story. Hope that you guys would be less confused ^_^


	2. Chapter 01-Waking Up To A New Morning

【Chapter 01 - Waking Up to a New Morning】

**7 Years After The Apocalypse**

"Just round that corner, there are... twenty one S1 zombies, and...two S2s." Sakuno pressed to "see" more, but was suddenly overwhelmed by a sharp pang of pain in the brain.

...a sign of ability over-use.

Worry flashed past Ryoga's eyes as he ruffled the short hair of his wife. He exchanged looks with his younger brother, who clutched the steel rod in his hand tighter than ever.

"Safe area SA12 is on the other side. We don't have a choice."

Ryoga nodded, so did Ryoma and Sakuno.

"Let's do this."

* * *

From a remote corner of the street now known as Infected Area IA206605, a round object was thrown out with great force, but made little to no sound when it sliced through the air. Bouncing a little, its rubber edges broke its fall as it rolled down towards the furthest end of the street.

5,

4,

3,

2,

1 -

"RIIIING!"

The roaming zombies froze for a second - then slowly turned their bodies and clumsily moved towards the source of noise. All but two zombies: a male zombie in a terribly torn dark suit, and the other a female in a long dress splattered with dried blood.

Both of them stayed behind, as if certain that the real _meal_ was in fact right around the corner.

_There they are, the trio realised. The S2s._

The street was soon cleared of the S1 zombies as the ringing subsided into far distance. Ryoma took a deep breath as he injected high heat into the steel rod in his left hand. The rod began to turn orange, then red, then luminous blue. He nodded to Ryoga, a sign that he was ready.

"Now! " Ryoga signalled. Ryoma emerged from their hiding spot and threw a large fireball at the female undead, forcing her to the right side of the walkway. Angered by the sudden attack, the female screeched while rotten meat melted away from her bones. Ryoga, on the other hand, crashed into the male zombie with lightning speed, pushing the male zombie into the mini-mart on the left. Sakuno followed after Ryoga, a golf club in her hand, and also disappeared into the mart.

Ryoma moved before the S2-in-dress could recover - he plunged forward and smashed the rod into the female's skull with all his might, and the immense heat melted both the zombie's skull and a third of the steel rod. Sizzling sounds emerged by his ear, coupled by the repulsive smell of burnt spoilt meat.

Clang! A crystal rolled from the skull of the female zombie that took a direct hit from the rod.

"One down!" Ryoma yelled, ignoring the crystal right by his feet, "Ryoga! Sakuno!"

But there was no response. His blood chilled.

"Guys?"

* * *

"Urghh" Ice crept up from Ryoga's legs and covered his whole body, the pressure crushing his bones and muscle tissues. Blood seeped from his skin, drenching the ice deep red, then froze under the sub-zero temperature.

He tried to struggle against it, but he couldn't win.

Lying on the floor across the mart, Sakuno felt a huge part of herself die. Ryoga had pushed her away when he felt a sudden drop in temperature...but he himself was unable to dodge the zombie's attack. Blankly, she turned her eyes towards the zombie with the ability to freeze all matter.

The golf club flew out of her hands when Ryoga pushed her out of harm's way.

They have underestimated the situation. The zombie in suit was not an average S2...it was a zombie with an awakened ability.

She saw the zombie walk towards her.

"Is there...nothing I can do?" muttered Sakuno.

She raised her hand in the direction of the zombie.

_At least, Ryoma, at least you must live._

_**"You, who don't see anything, will not see anything."**_

Sakuno unleashed the last drop of her ability on the approaching zombie.

* * *

Chomp! Chomp!

Ryoma stared at the zombies tearing meat from his family's corpses.

A zombie with awakened ability. They didn't stand a chance.

The blind zombie continued to dig in, unaware of the approaching young man.

Tears streamed down the cheeks of the 20 year old.

Why?! Why?! What have they done to deserve this?!

Ryoma knew that he should run. He should escape. The safe area is so near that if he made a run for it, he would reach in a few minutes time.

Ryoga and Sakuno gave up their lives to buy him time, so that he could live on.

_But, Ryoma thought, he had no reason to escape anymore._

* * *

Flames consumed Ryoma as he threw himself at the male zombie with all his might. Ice freckles melted upon contact with his flames, unable to stop the burning boy. The zombie in suit crackled away, until all that was left was his crystal.

The swarm of S1 zombies,now returned, tried to tear the boy away from the crystal. But they were all reduced to ashes before they could reach him.

Sparks flew in all directions. The Ryoma felt his legs melt, then his hands, then his body...and soon, the whole of IA206605 was engulfed by his fire.

Amidst the shrieks and painful moans of the zombies, he could faintly hear the sound made by the battery-run alarm, far far away..

* * *

Gasp!

Ryoma sat up from his bed, his forehead drenched with cold sweat. He slammed down the alarm button and pulled it up close.

5:05 am...25-06-20XX? A...dream?

But how can it be...?

Ryoma delved straight into the bathroom, staring long and hard at the mirror. He looked pale, and young; unlike his dream, where he was burnt and scarred all over. Raven-coloured hair slightly ruffled when he got up from bed, and his limbs still intact. His height...

His Himalayan cat snuggled against his ankle.

Karupin! He held the cat close to his heart, unable to believe what has happened. Karupin's purr brought warmth to his heart, just as he remembered.

_Just like a dream. _

But somehow, he was sure the Apocalypse was not his imagination. It was not something like a notion - he knew for certain that it was a fact, like a piece of information that was instilled within him; that everything he remembered up till this point had truly happened, and that it was _real_.

Just that in this very instant, he was grateful that he can still at least wake up to a new morning.

* * *

Author's note: Edited on 31 Jan 2016.


	3. Chapter 02-Preparing For The Worst

【Chapter 02 - Preparing for the Worst】

**6 Months Before The Apocalypse**

"Thank you for the food!"

Rinko looked at the thirteen year old worriedly as the boy swallowed rice chopstick after chopstick, scavenging all the dishes in front of him like there's no tomorrow.

Ryoma sensed his mother's hesitant gaze, but he could not control his actions. Even a simple breakfast like this was once an extremely luxurious meal for him. Rice! Vegetables! Meat! During the apocalypse, only those among the top ranks get to enjoy a proper meal. As far as Ryoma can remember, a full day of hard work only got him a piece of brick hard bread, a couple of biscuits and a bottle of foul tasting water.

It had been so long since he tasted food so delicious.

...Cough! Cough!

"Ryoma! Are you okay? Here, have some water." Nanako immediately passed a cup of water. Rinko hurriedly came over and patted his back.

He took the cup from his cousin's hands and finished it in two gulps.

"Son, you're eating too fast. Slow down!" Nanjirou lifted his head from his precious erotic magazine and furrowed his brows. Even he could tell that something was wrong with Ryoma.

"I..I'm fine." Ryoma's eyes reddened before replying hoarsely. He wanted to tell his family the truth, but what can he say?

For seven years he had struggled to survive in a world of extreme cruelty. If there was a lesson to take away, that would be not to believe in meaningless hope. He's certain that his family will believe his words, but he didn't want them to spend their last moments overwhelmed by fear, worry and a sense of impending doom. To him, nothing is more precious than his family.

He truly love them with all his heart, even though he usually masks this with a nonchalant and cocky attitude.

In his previous life, too many people he cared about had left him, be it by death, or by betrayal. Now that he has got a chance to reunite with his family, even if it's for one last time, he wants to enjoy this last period of bliss where he can behave like a kid, where his parents are still by his side. Call it selfishness, but he want them to enjoy peace and happiness without knowledge of what lie in wait for them.

That's the least he can do as a son, as a family member.

He buried his head into the bowl of rice in his hands, hiding his tears. Taking care not to let the tremble in his voice leak, he spoke up.

"Hey Dad...if you're free later, let's have a match."

* * *

The hospital seem more crowded than usual,Yukimura thought as he waited for his turn. He felt a little giddy from his fever,but it was still not that bad.

"Yukimura-kun?" A nurse looked up from the clipboard in her hands and smiled at the teen, "You may go in now."

"Thank you." Yukimura returned a friendly smile and got up from his seat.

Knock Knock.

"Please come in."

"I'm coming in."

The consultation room consisted of a doctor's working desk, an examination bed and several medical equipments. Yukimura sat down in front of the doctor, who looked up from his laptop and smiled.

"Seems like you have a slight fever. Though it looks like common flu, it's still better to take caution, especially with your medical history. As your doctor, I'd need you stay in the hospital for a couple of days until you fully recover. Do contact Mrs Yukimura about your hospitalisation."

"Yes, I'll do just that, Doctor Yamazaki. Thank you."

He nodded slightly before leaving the room.

* * *

Yukimura trailed behind the nurse and frowned slightly. The hallway was packed with patients, and the air was exceptionally stifling. He fished out his phone and saw a missed call.

"Hello? Echizen?"

"Ah..how do you know? I'm at the hospital...Yes, I'd need to stay for a few days."

"Yes, it's really crowded here."

"What do you mean by 'leave the hospital before December 22nd'? I'll be out in a few days. You do know that it's still June now, right?..."

"Okay, I promise to leave the hospital if I'm still here at that time. Yes, I promise to do that."

Yukimura looked at his screen thoughtfully as the conversation pop-up disappeared into the phone's background.

At the hospital's main entrance, a certain green haired teen clutched his phone in his hands. He took a last glance at the hospital before taking a step in the opposite direction.

Dad, Mum, Nanako.

_I'm sorry. It's beyond my ability to save you all._

But for those who I know will survive...

The only thing I can do, is to prepare for the worst to come.

* * *

A brown haired teen pushed the door open and the all boys in the room stood immediately.

"Yo, Tezuka,"Fuji waved a small wave, "long time no see."

"Buchou (Captain)." Ryoma got up as well and greeted, his eyes fixed at Tezuka.

"Yo Tezuka!" "Buchou." "How are you Tezuka?" "Tezuka buchou."... The regulars greeted Tezuka one by one. Tezuka adjusted his glasses, his expression stoic as ever, but he was glad to see his friends again. "Fuji, Oishi, Eiji, Inui, Takashi, Kaidoh, Momoshiro, Echizen." He nodded, "It's been long."

The boys took some time to settle down. "Saa Echizen, why did you call us here? You even insisted Tezuka to come back from Germany." Fuji asked.

Ryoma took a deep breath and finally made out two sentences.

"Everyone."

"I need all of you to listen to me carefully."

* * *

**3 Years After The Apocalypse**

The long winter finally ended on New Year's Day.

For six months, all of earth was covered in snow. The bitter weather killed countless civilians, but had also weakened the zombies, allowing humans to catch their breath. For humans with special abilities, this was a time that their powers increased by leap and bounds. Scientists had discovered the use of crystals that are formed within skulls of S2 zombies and above, and used them to quickly heighten their skills. Such humans are commonly referred to as Alphas, differentiating them from common humans.

Research about zombies has also commenced, where they now divide zombies into Stages and SAs into Levels.

Safe Areas are built by either the government, or by individuals with extremely powerful abilities. Guards of these locations are made up of military officers with heavy ammunition, as well as Alphas. Whenever a zombie wander too near these safe areas, the guards will quickly kill them off before they attract more zombies.

For the common people, the relatively peaceful life brought about regulation and order. Especially so when they heard that in some bases, there are Alphas who have reached L3 during winter.

Such as Fuji and Oishi.

* * *

Safe Area SA03.

Ryoma ran a high fever while Fuji and Oishi stood guard. Among the regulars, only Fuji, Oishi, Eiji and Ryoma managed to get together. They did receive words that all other regulars had awakened as Alphas, but so far they were all scattered across the different bases.

"Fuji, I see a lot of zombies closing in! I can't see much, but I see a whole army of S1 zombies, followed by a line of S2s. I sense a couple of S3s at the back but I can't make out their exact locations." Oishi frowned at what he saw.

Oishi's ability, Sight, allows him to observe and analyse a radius of area with him as the centre. However, the further his sight reach, the blurer the imagery. If he can sense the zombies this clearly, with Oishi's level, this meant that the zombies will take at most half-a-day to reach them.

Something's amiss, Fuji thought, zombies don't attack like that. They usually roam about aimlessly, attacking all living creatures in their way. But the way Oishi put it, it was as if the zombies are organized.

Organized?Organized... organized!

This was no ordinary attack, he realised.

"Oishi, we need to leave! Now!" Fuji jumped out of his chair, eyes sharp with his revelation.

"Wait! Eiji's still out there!" Oishi caught Fuji's arm and said,"I need to get him back!"

Fuji quickly sought for the best course of action, "Oishi, use your Sight to find Eiji; meanwhile I'll quickly tie things up here. We'll gather at the entrance in an hour's time and head to the next safe area together."

"Got it." Oishi replied as he got up, but paused at the door. "Hey Fuji...If I didn't manage to meet you both in an hour, leave for the next safe area first. Head north...that's where the zombies are most sparse."

Ryoma could hardly open his eyes, but he could still hear their conversation. He managed to see a slit of light, only to capture the backview of the Vice-captain.

He never saw him and Eiji again.

* * *

"Let's say." Fuji's voice cut in abruptly, capturing everyone's attention. "Lets say that this apocalypse will really happen. I guess that from your story, most of us will die, am I right?"

Ryoma hesitated. "I don't know. I got separated from all of you after the zombie raid. But...the situation only got worse."

"I see," Inui paused, "Since you know that all Seigaku regulars will awaken as Alphas, you felt that we have a better chance in surviving if we can stand together."

"Yes." admitted Ryoma. "This sounds ridiculous, I know, but I need you all to believe me."

* * *

Author's Note: Edited on 31 Jan 2015


End file.
